always the way

Said when one is not surprised by something frustrating or undesirable that has happened. A: "I rarely spill things on myself, but naturally, I did today because I wore white." B: "Ugh, isn't that always the way?" Of all the things that fell off that shelf, only the irreplaceable heirloom broke. Isn't that always the way? A: "Oh, come on! The only reason he's being allowed to leave with just a warning is because his daddy owns half the city!" B: "That's always the way—the rich and the poor are subject to two different sets of laws."

(that’s/it’s) always the ˈway

(spoken) used to say that things often happen in a particular way, especially when it is not convenient: ‘I was already late, and then I got stuck in a traffic jam.’ ‘Yes, that’s always the way, isn’t it?’